PCToday

Your official news source for Pennsylvania College of Technology

Latest galleries

Community-building event lets students know #YouAreWelcomeHere
September 17, 2020
Events bring students together, even when apart
September 10, 2020
Penn College announces cake competition winners
September 2, 2020

Get PCToday headlines delivered to you.

Penn State News

Interested in Penn State News?

Penn College Magazine

Read the college's magazine Penn College Magazine.

Share your news

Have something to share with the community? Let us know.

Featured

Alumni Engineering Technologies Plastics & Polymer STEM

Penn College grad ‘shoots for the moon’ with Google

Pennsylvania College of Technology graduate Fletcher Ewing, a native of Selinsgrove, is a senior mechanical engineer for X, The Moonshot Factory in Silicon Valley. Formerly known as Google X, the company’s objective is to build and launch “technologies that aim to improve the lives of millions, even billions of people.” Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ewing is mostly working from his home office for X’s Everyday Robot Project. (Photo provided by Ewing.)

Curiosity drives Fletcher Ewing.

As a kid, it drove him to build and race Soap Box Derby cars. As a college student, it led him to study plastics. As a professional, it inspires him to “shoot for the moon.”

The 1998 Pennsylvania College of Technology graduate and Selinsgrove native is a senior mechanical engineer in Silicon Valley for X, The Moonshot Factory. Formerly known as Google X, the company consists of inventors, engineers and entrepreneurs whose expectations defy gravity. Their objective is to build and launch “technologies that aim to improve the lives of millions, even billions of people.”

Art & Graphic Design Business, Arts & Sciences Faculty & Staff

Two art faculty honored as Art of the State finalists

Showcasing the creative endeavors of Pennsylvania artists, the 53rd annual Art of the State exhibition at The State Museum of Pennsylvania has selected works created by two Pennsylvania College of Technology art faculty members.

David M. Moyer, assistant professor of graphic design, and David A. Stabley, instructor of ceramics and wood sculpture, are among the finalists featured in the 2020 exhibit, running through Jan. 3. This year’s juried exhibition includes 108 works by 109 artists selected from 1,901 entries by 680 artists.

Nursing Nursing & Health Sciences Penn College Magazine Penn College Magazine Feature Sports

Trading uniforms

From the Fall 2020 Penn College Magazine: When spring sports were canceled and classes were moved online, two athletes traded their jerseys for scrubs. Read their stories in “Trading Uniforms.”

Faculty & Staff

Penn College welcomes new employee

PCToday continues its regular feature – welcoming new full-time and regular part-time Pennsylvania College of Technology employees, as reported by the Human Resources Office.

Exercise Science Faculty & Staff Nursing & Health Sciences

Emeritus faculty member dies at 84

Graveside services will be at the convenience of the family for Donna Rae Miller, a 23-year member of the physical fitness faculty at Williamsport Area Community College and Pennsylvania College of Technology, who died Thursday, Sept. 17, at the age of 84. Miller, who also served as cheerleading adviser during her campus tenure, was accorded emeritus status upon her 1997 retirement as an associate professor of fitness and lifetime sports. A full obituary was published in weekend editions of the Williamsport Sun-Gazette.

General Information

Flags at half-staff in tribute to ‘RBG’

American flags are flying at half-staff in memory of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, who died Friday at the age of 87. “Renowned for her powerful dissents, Justice Ginsburg epitomized powerful yet respectful argument; that you can disagree with someone without being disagreeable to them,” the presidential proclamation reads. “Justice Ginsburg’s work helped bring about greater equality for women, secure rights for the disabled, and will continue to influence our nation for generations to come. Her commitment to the law and her fearlessness in the face of death inspired countless ‘RBG’ fans, and she continues to serve as a role model. Her legacy and contribution to American history will never be forgotten.” The flag will remain lowered until her interment.

Events General Information Students

Thinking about community service? Here’s something to chew on!

Student Engagement provided all the materials with which to make a dog's day. — Student Engagement provided all the materials with which to make a dog’s day.

The second floor of the Bush Campus Center, equipped with the necessary technology for group instruction, also provides ample room to responsibly spread out.

Handcrafted with love, and destined for a doggie donation

Seventeen service-driven Penn College students, many of them representing campus organizations, took part in the Office of Student Engagement’s recent “(community) Service Saturday” in Penn’s Inn. “We made dog toys from T-shirts and dog-friendly tennis balls using a ‘recipe’ packet I compiled and watching YouTube video tutorials,” said Shannon L. Skaluba, student organization and information center specialist, who facilitated the Sept. 12 activity (and provided the photos above). “Many learned how to tie square knots during the event, an essential skill in making homemade dog toys. We had a great time!” The box of toys fashioned by the properly masked and socially distanced group will be donated to the Lycoming County SPCA. “(community) Service Saturday” events, held the second Saturday of the month, provide Penn College students with opportunities to volunteer within the Greater Williamsport area. The next will be held from 9-11 a.m. Oct. 10, when participants will clean up off-campus neighborhoods and Ways Garden. All appropriate supplies will be provided; the group will meet in front of the ACC for 9 a.m. Those interested should sign up in advance by submitting the “(community) Service Saturday” registration form on the Student Engagement portal page. Questions? Email the office for answers!

Alumni Baking, Pastry & Culinary Arts Business, Arts & Sciences Faculty & Staff Students

Personal chef finds self-satisfaction in cooking for others

Through a solid belief in herself and unwavering encouragement from her support system, Penn College alumna Amy (Lynn) Koral boldly quit a bakery job to become a full-time personal chef and business owner. Koral – who earned an associate degree in baking and pastry arts in 2014 and founded Cherished Meals in Oregon four years later – discusses the rewards of preparing meals and restoring her clients’ valuable time in the process. “It happened very organically, and I’m so happy to be cooking healthy meals for people each week,” she writes in a blog posting. “I love making people’s lives easier and filling their refrigerators with homemade, nourishing meals.”

Events Students

Community-building event lets students know #YouAreWelcomeHere

Penn College is participating in Welcoming Week (Sept. 12-20), a nationally recognized movement that promotes environments that are inclusive and welcoming to all – no matter where they’re from. This year’s theme is “Creating Home Together,” embodied in a Wednesday afternoon cupcake-decorating event on the Bush Campus Center patio. Students also had the opportunity to post their responses to the question, “What makes Penn College home?” While the pandemic prevented some from joining the celebration of their campus home, the college is proud to have 11 students from six countries (Grenada, India, Jamaica, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Vietnam).

General Information

Community Arts Center merger with Penn College proposed

The Community Arts Center hosts a Penn College commencement ceremony in 2017.

Pennsylvania College of Technology is recommending a merger of its corporation with that of the Community Arts Center, a wholly owned subsidiary of the college, pending approvals by the college’s Board of Directors and state and county entities.

Costs related to both the operations and infrastructure of the Arts Center are largely, and increasingly, subsidized by Penn College, although the center also relies upon philanthropic support from the community (led by the First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania), as well as local government and Visitors Bureau grant funding, and investment from a partnership with Lycoming College, now in its fourth year.

Nevertheless, the venue’s closure in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has only underscored the need to identify significant efficiencies for the long-term sustainability of the facility.

Art & Graphic Design Business, Arts & Sciences Faculty & Staff Students

Facial expressionism

David H. Jamison prepares to display his mask (“Let’s Stay Safe”) on The Victorian House fence. Jamison, from Chambersburg, is enrolled in information technology: network specialist concentration.

Autumn's imminence lends a leafy canvas for coronavirus commentary. — Autumn’s imminence lends a leafy canvas for coronavirus commentary.

The ceramic masks serve as emotional outlets to lament loss …

A warming westerly sun illuminates an accommodating campus landmark, a fitting "home base" for displaying student sentiment. — A warming westerly sun illuminates an accommodating campus landmark, a fitting “home base” for displaying student sentiment.

A unique exhibit has unfolded on the Penn College campus: About 80 students from a wide range of majors have crafted ceramic masks for “Regarding the Mask …,” a display surrounding The Victorian House in the center of campus. Ceramics 1 students taught by David A. and Deborah L. Stabley were offered the project as a mode of creative expression related to the face coverings being worn due to the global pandemic. “My idea stems from the physical masks we’re all wearing and our inability to communicate the way we used to,” David Stabley said. “We can’t see our mouths anymore, and it’s hard to show emotions. These emotions, thoughts and feelings could be expressed on the masks.” The fence surrounding The Victorian House was selected for the display as a nod to the homebound environment many have experienced this year. The Stableys anticipate the masks will be on view for one month and invite the campus community to take a stroll and enjoy the messages, including positive and humorous ones. (Watch PCToday for more images and information on “Regarding the Mask … .”)

Alumni Students

Virtual info sessions to focus on welders, dental hygienists

A pair of employers, recruiting from among Penn College students and alumni in welding and dental hygiene, will hold virtual information sessions on Thursday, Sept. 24.

Caterpillar –Microsoft Teams sessions are scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. and 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Children’s Dental Health – in person from 4 to 4:45 p.m. in Penn’s Inn (Bush Campus Center, second floor); also accessible over Zoom

For more, check out the Career Services flyer: Virtual employer information sessions

Engineering Technologies Faculty & Staff Students Welding

‘If you want hands-on, you will need masks on’

Webb is interviewed in front of the CNC plasma cutter, among the new equipment in the college's expanded labs. — Webb is interviewed in front of the CNC plasma cutter, among the new equipment in the college’s expanded labs.

Allen explains laser welding, one of the work stations in the college's impressive robotics and automation wing. — Allen explains laser welding, one of the work stations in the college’s impressive robotics and automation wing.

Newswatch 16 reporter Nikki Krize and videographer Tom Durant stopped by the Lycoming Engines Metal Trades Center on Tuesday morning for a story about the expansion of Penn College’s welding laboratories and the campuswide safety protocols (and positive reinforcement of compliance) to maintain hands-on instruction in the face of COVID-19. The improvements, made possible in part by a $2 million grant provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, increased the size of welding-related instructional space by about 35,000 square feet. Krize interviewed Bradley M. Webb, dean of engineering technologies, and welding instructor Michael R. Allen for the piece, which first ran during WNEP’s 5 p.m. newscast.

Alumni Building Construction Engineering Technologies

Successful alums share passion for construction

Two Pennsylvania College of Technology alumni, who have maintained the National Association of Home Builders affiliation that they began in college, discuss their professional paths in 20-minute videos geared toward high school students with potential interest in construction careers. In a partnership between NAHB Student Chapters and Cue Career, current college students interviewed young home builders – including Penn College graduates David J. Foreman and Henry A. Rainey.

Faculty & Staff General Information Students

Memorial blood drive tops 130 pints

A Sept. 2-3 Bloodmobile in memory of Patrick M. Breen, a longtime General Services employee who died in June 2018, resulted in the lifesaving collection of 131 pints. Someone in the United States needs blood every two seconds; it is essential for surgeries, cancer treatment, chronic illnesses and traumatic injuries. Whether a patient receives whole blood, red cells, platelets or plasma, the process starts with one person making a generous donation. The next blood drive on campus – American Red Cross Blood Services’ No. 1 collection site in northeastern Pennsylvania – will be from noon to 6 p.m. Nov. 11-12 in Penn’s Inn (CC, second floor).

Older posts